The prison was given an Independent Review of Progress in May 2025, the full report can be read on the HM Inspectorate of Prisons website, just follow the links below. In their latest report the inspectors said:
HMP Garth is a category B training prison for adult men in Leyland, Lancashire, run by HM Prison and Probation Service, holding 816 prisoners against a baseline certified normal capacity of 810. A full inspection in July/August 2024 had rated safety Not Sufficiently Good, a decline, respect Not Sufficiently Good and purposeful activity Poor, both unchanged, and resettlement Reasonably Good, unchanged. This Independent Review of Progress, carried out in May 2025, checks progress against the concerns raised then rather than re-scoring the four healthy prison tests.
Inspectors found access to health services had improved substantially, with a dedicated officer facilitating appointments and new on-wing treatment rooms, and staff sickness had reduced considerably following a new regime introduced in February 2025 that gave prisoners more time out of cell. Roof repairs were completed, 16 cells had been refurbished, and a new well-being manager post was created.
However, overall inspectors said too little progress had been made in half of all the concerns raised. Drone deliveries were detected 26 times in seven months, more than three times the equivalent period before, the positive drug test rate had risen further to around 36%, and security improvement funding bids had not been approved. The number of prisoners self-isolating had risen from 17 to 24, self-harm incidents were up by around a fifth, and low-level rule-breaking remained largely unchallenged.
Charlie Taylor
HM Chief Inspector of Prisons
June 2025
To read the full reports, go to the HM Inspectorate of Prisons website or follow the links below:
- Independent Review of Progress report, HM Inspectorate of Prisons review of progress at HMP Garth (12–14 May 2025, published 16 June 2025)
- Inspection report (PDF), Report on an unannounced inspection of HMP Garth by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons (29 July–8 August 2024, published 5 November 2024)
- Easy read summary of the 2024 inspection report
- Action plan, HM Prison and Probation Service action plan in response to the 2024 inspection of HMP Garth